IP Library Granted Patent US 9,888,554
Granted Patent B2
US 9,888,554 · App. 15/003,385 · Granted Feb 6, 2018

System, method and apparatus for target material debris cleaning of EUV vessel and EUV collector

Inventors: Jonghoon Baek (San Diego, CA); Mathew Cheeran Abraham (San Diego, CA); David Robert Evans (San Diego, CA); Jack Michael Gazza (San Diego, CA)
Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
H05G2/005G02B19/0095G03F7/70033H05G2/008
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,888,554
App. No.
15/003,385
Granted
Feb 6, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system and method of removing target material debris deposits simultaneously with generating EUV light includes generating hydrogen radicals in situ in the EUV vessel, proximate to the target material debris deposits and volatilizing the target material debris deposits and purging the volatilized target material debris deposits from the EUV vessel without the need of an oxygen containing species in the EUV vessel.

Claims (58)

1. An EUV light source comprising:

an EUV vessel including an EUV vessel purge gas inlet coupled to a purge gas source capable of dispensing a quantity of purge gas into the EUV vessel;

an EUV collector disposed in the EUV vessel, the EUV collector including a reflective surface;

a target material source capable of dispensing a quantity of target material into the EUV vessel, a first portion of the quantity of target material being disposed on at least a portion of the reflective surface of the EUV collector as a first target material debris deposit;

a first hydrogen radical source disposed within the EUV vessel, the first hydrogen radical source including a capacitively coupled hydrogen plasma chamber, the capacitively coupled hydrogen plasma chamber including:

a first hydrogen radical source outlet disposed proximate to the reflective surface of the EUV collector;

a first hydrogen source inlet coupled to a hydrogen source;

a first hydrogen source electrode coupled to a first signal source; and

a second hydrogen source electrode coupled to a second signal source, the first hydrogen radical source being capable of producing a first quantity of hydrogen radicals and dispensing the first quantity of hydrogen radicals from the first hydrogen radical source outlet, the first quantity of hydrogen radicals capable of combining with the first target material debris deposit to form a first quantity of a volatile compound containing at least a portion of the first target material debris deposit; and

an EUV vessel purge outlet capable of passing the first quantity of the volatile compound out of the EUV vessel.

2. The EUV light source of claim 1 , wherein the capacitively coupled hydrogen plasma chamber includes a third hydrogen source electrode coupled to a third signal source.

3. The EUV light source of claim 2 , wherein the third hydrogen source electrode includes at least a portion of a conductive layer of the EUV collector.

4. The EUV light source of claim 1 , wherein the first hydrogen radical source outlet is disposed around a perimeter of the EUV collector.

5. The EUV light source of claim 1 , wherein the first hydrogen radical source outlet is disposed near a central aperture of the EUV collector.

6. The EUV light source of claim 1 , wherein the first hydrogen radical source produces the first quantity of hydrogen radicals in a manner that prevents an oxygen containing species from entering the EUV vessel.

7. The EUV light source of claim 1 , wherein the first hydrogen source electrode is included in the collector.

8. The EUV light source of claim 1 , wherein the first hydrogen radical source has a substantially annular shape and wherein the first hydrogen radical source outlet is disposed proximate to a perimeter of the EUV collector.

9. The EUV light source of claim 1 , further comprising:

a plurality of inner EUV vessel surfaces included in the EUV vessel, the plurality of inner EUV vessel surfaces including a plurality of baffles;

a second portion of the quantity of target material being disposed on at least a portion of the plurality of inner EUV vessel surfaces as a second target material debris deposit;

a second hydrogen radical source disposed within the EUV vessel, the second hydrogen radical source including:

a second hydrogen radical source outlet disposed proximate to at least one of the plurality of baffles;

a second hydrogen source inlet coupled to the hydrogen source;

a third hydrogen source electrode coupled to a third signal source; and

a fourth hydrogen source electrode coupled to a fourth signal source, the second hydrogen radical source being capable of producing a second quantity of hydrogen radicals and dispensing the second quantity of hydrogen radicals from the second hydrogen radical source outlet, the second quantity of hydrogen radicals capable of combining with the second target material debris deposit to form a second quantity of the volatile compound containing at least a portion of the second target material debris deposit; and

the EUV vessel purge outlet capable of passing the second quantity of the volatile compound out of the EUV vessel.

10. The EUV light source of claim 1 , further comprising a central aperture hydrogen radical source having a central aperture hydrogen radical source outlet disposed near a central aperture of the EUV collector and wherein the first hydrogen radical source outlet is disposed proximate to a perimeter of the EUV collector.

11. The EUV light source of claim 10 , wherein the central aperture hydrogen radical source is an inductively coupled hydrogen plasma chamber.

12. An EUV light source comprising:

an EUV vessel including:

an EUV vessel purge gas inlet coupled to a purge gas source capable of dispensing a quantity of purge gas into the EUV vessel; and

a plurality of inner EUV vessel surfaces;

an EUV collector disposed in the EUV vessel, the EUV collector including a reflective surface;

a target material source capable of dispensing a quantity of target material into the EUV vessel, a first portion of the quantity of target material being disposed on at least a portion of the reflective surface of the EUV collector as a first target material debris deposit and a second portion of the quantity of target material being disposed on at least a portion of the plurality inner surfaces as a second target material debris deposit;

a first capacitively coupled hydrogen plasma chamber disposed within the EUV vessel, the first capacitively coupled hydrogen plasma chamber including:

a first hydrogen radical source outlet disposed proximate to a perimeter of the reflective surface of the EUV collector;

a first hydrogen source inlet coupled to a hydrogen source; and

at least one first hydrogen source electrode coupled to a first signal source, the first hydrogen radical source being capable of producing a first quantity of hydrogen radicals and dispensing the first quantity of hydrogen radicals from the first hydrogen radical source outlet, the first quantity of hydrogen radicals capable of combining with the first target material debris deposit to form a first quantity of a volatile compound containing at least a portion of the first target material debris deposit;

a second capacitively coupled hydrogen plasma chamber disposed within the EUV vessel, the second capacitively coupled hydrogen plasma chamber including:

a second hydrogen radical source outlet disposed proximate to at least one of the plurality of inner EUV vessel surfaces;

a second hydrogen source inlet coupled to the hydrogen source; and

at least one second hydrogen source electrode coupled to a second signal source, the second hydrogen plasma chamber being capable of producing a second quantity of hydrogen radicals and dispensing the second quantity of hydrogen radicals from the second hydrogen radical source outlet, the second quantity of hydrogen radicals capable of combining with the second target material debris deposit to form a second quantity of the volatile compound containing at least a portion of the second target material debris deposit; and

an EUV vessel purge outlet capable of passing the first quantity of the volatile compound out and the second quantity of the volatile compound out of the EUV vessel.

13. A method of cleaning target material debris deposits in an EUV light source while simultaneously generating EUV light in the EUV light source, comprising:

generating a quantity of hydrogen radicals within an EUV vessel of the EUV light source using a capacitively coupled hydrogen plasma chamber, the capacitively coupled hydrogen plasma chamber including a hydrogen radical source outlet disposed proximate to a reflective surface of an EUV collector, a hydrogen source inlet coupled to a hydrogen source, a first hydrogen source electrode coupled to a first signal source, and a second hydrogen source electrode coupled to a second signal source;

outputting the generated quantity of hydrogen radicals from the hydrogen radical source outlet proximate to the target material debris deposits on a surface inside the EUV vessel to combine the generated quantity of hydrogen radicals with the target material debris deposits to form a quantity of a volatile compound containing at least of portion of the target material debris deposits;

dispensing a quantity of purge gas into the EUV vessel; and

purging the quantity of the volatile compound out of the EUV vessel through an EUV vessel purge outlet.

14. An EUV light source comprising:

an EUV vessel including an EUV vessel purge gas inlet coupled to a purge gas source capable of dispensing a quantity of purge gas into the EUV vessel;

an EUV collector disposed in the EUV vessel, the EUV collector including a reflective surface;

a target material source capable of dispensing a quantity of target material into the EUV vessel, a first portion of the quantity of target material being disposed on at least a portion of the reflective surface of the EUV collector as a first target material debris deposit;

a first hydrogen radical source disposed within the EUV vessel, the first hydrogen radical source including an inductively coupled hydrogen plasma chamber, the inductively coupled hydrogen plasma chamber including:

a first hydrogen radical source outlet disposed proximate to the reflective surface of the EUV collector;

a first hydrogen source inlet coupled to a hydrogen source;

a first hydrogen source electrode coupled to a first signal source; and

a second hydrogen source electrode coupled to a second signal source, the first hydrogen radical source being capable of producing a first quantity of hydrogen radicals and dispensing the first quantity of hydrogen radicals from the first hydrogen radical source outlet, the first quantity of hydrogen radicals capable of combining with the first target material debris deposit to form a first quantity of a volatile compound containing at least a portion of the first target material debris deposit; and

an EUV vessel purge outlet capable of passing the first quantity of the volatile compound out of the EUV vessel.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 21, 2016
From: BAEK, JONGHOON; ABRAHAM, MATHEW CHEERAN; EVANS, DAVID ROBERT; GAZZA, JACK MICHAEL
To: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.
Reel/Frame 037553/0982 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20170215265A1 · Jul 27, 2017